Time Out (2001 film)
| Time Out | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Laurent Cantet |
| Written by | Robin Campillo Laurent Cantet |
| Produced by | Caroline Benjo |
| Starring | Aurélien Recoing Karin Viard |
| Cinematography | Pierre Milon |
| Edited by | Robin Campillo Stephanie Leger |
| Music by | Jocelyn Pook |
| Distributed by | Haut et Court |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 134 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Budget | $3 million[1] |
| Box office | $1.2 million[2] |
Time Out (French: L'Emploi du temps or 'Le Vendu') is a 2001 French drama film directed by Laurent Cantet and starring Aurélien Recoing and Karin Viard.[3] The film is loosely based on the life story of Jean-Claude Romand (though without the criminal element), and it focuses on one of Cantet's favorite subjects: a man's relationship with his job. The film received considerable attention internationally and was shown at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. It was one of the independent films to be featured at the New York Film Festival.
Plot
The film tells the story of Vincent, a middle-aged man fired after spending more than 11 years working for a prestigious consulting firm. Unable to admit to his family that he has been fired, the unemployed former executive continues to pretend he goes to the office daily. In reality, Vincent spends his time aimlessly driving the highways of France and Switzerland, reading newspapers, or sleeping in his car.
As time progresses, Vincent invents more and more elaborate lies, throwing himself into a vicious spiral of deceit. To sustain his bourgeois lifestyle, Vincent sets up a Ponzi scheme and is eventually enlisted into smuggling by career thief Jean-Michel. Murielle, Vincent's wife, after discovering her husband's "life of lies", attempts to bring him back into the realm of reality.
Cast
- Aurélien Recoing as Vincent
- Karin Viard as Muriel
- Serge Livrozet as Jean-Michel
- Jean-Pierre Mangeot as Father
- Monique Mangeot as Mother
- Didier Perez as Philippe
- Philippe Jouannet as Human Resources Director
Reception
Time Out was acclaimed by critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 96%, based on 82 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The consensus reads, "A haunting psychological drama, Time Out takes a penetrating look at the angst of the modern worker."[4] At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 88, based on 30 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[5]
The film was placed at 99 on Slant Magazines best films of the 2000s,[6] number 9 of The Guardian's best films of the noughties,[7] and number 11 at The A.V. Club's top 50 films of the 2000s.[8]
Accolades
| Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Foreign Language Film | 2nd place | |
| European Film Awards | Best Screenwriter | Laurent Cantet and Robin Campillo | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best International Film | Nominated | |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Foreign Language Film | 3rd place | |
| Best Actor | Aurélien Recoing | 3rd place | |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Foreign Language Film | Runner-up | |
| Venice International Film Festival | Don Quixote Award | Won | |
| Vienna International Film Festival | FIPRESCI Prize | Won |
American remake
Speaking in 2022 about his collaboration and working relationship with Christian Bale, Scott Cooper teased several potential projects him and the actor were considering pursuing, including a "reimagining" he had long wanted to make of the film. Cooper then confirmed on an episode of WTF with Marc Maron that Bale was intent on starring.[9] However, in February 2026, it was revealed that Adam Sandler would take over for Bale, with filming set for April 1, 2026, in Vancouver, Canada. Netflix will distribute the film.[10]
References
- ^ "L'Emploi du temps (Time Out) (2001)". JPBox-Office. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Time Out (2002) - Box Office Mojo". Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (3 October 2001). "Movie Review - - FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW; A Great New Job in, uh, Fabrication - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ "Time Out (L' Emploi du temps) (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- ^ "Time Out". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- ^ "Best of the Aughts: Film". Slant Magazine. 7 February 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
- ^ "100 Best Films of the Noughties". The Guardian. London. 17 December 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ "The best films of the '00s". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
- ^ Barfield, Charles (20 December 2022). "Scott Cooper Says Christian Bale Will Star In His Remake Of Laurent Cantet's 'Time Out' & Teases More Work Together". ThePlaylist.net. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Ruimy, Jordan (4 February 2026). "Adam Sandler to Lead Scott Cooper's 'Time Out' Remake — Replaces Christian Bale". Retrieved 5 February 2026.